<<Unit 6: Guests and visitors>>

Welcoming guests and visitors at your company

• How often does your company have business guests and visitors?
• Why do they visit your company?
• Does the company entertain them in the evening?
• How often do you visit other companies?
• Do you enjoy meeting new people?
• Do you feel that you are outgoing or shy around new people? How do you usually act?
• Do you prefer being the visitor or the host?
• Are you nervous when you are introduced to someone new?
• How important are first impressions to you?
• What do you do if you forget the name of someone you've just been introduced to?
• Do you usually shake hands with when you meet a new person?
• What are some good things to ask someone you just met?
• What are some things you shouldn't ask people you just met?

Texts: Welcoming guests

• Looking after visitors - Business English Basics - Learn English Business Communication
• Welcoming guests – Gäste begrüβen auf Englisch | sekretaria.de
• English Skills: How To Meet and Greet Visitors in English | English with a Twist
• Phrases for welcome speeches : how to say welcome uniquely (write-out-loud.com)

Writing a welcome speech (new to company)

• How to Write a Welcome Speech: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith, Jane Brown and all of our guests, welcome.

My name is April Molloy, and it's my privilege and great pleasure on behalf of Parents United to welcome you here today.

We are delighted to have you with us to participate and share in this special occasion, our 5th annual Children's Day Conference. Thank you for coming. That many of you have willingly traveled long distances to be here serves as a reminder to us all just how important our work is.

Parents United is committed to actively raising the quality of life for every child. We want all children, regardless of race, creed or circumstance to achieve their full potential. Our task is to make it possible. Our mission is to provide practical, step by step assistance.

This year our theme is literacy. We've named the day 'Readers by Right'.

Thanks to the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights we are aware of 'rights' in many spheres, including education. That agreement declared in Article 26 education should be compulsory and free for children.

That goal, is as pertinent today as it was then. It's a goal I know we all share - the full development of every child. As a body Parents United recognizes good reading skills established in childhood as the foundation of fulfilling, and ongoing education.

We are honored to have Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith and Jane Brown with us today. All three are esteemed specialists in teaching young children to read.

Sue-Ellen has worked for a long time with educational authorities to establish programs that put in place the necessary pre-reading skills. Her hard work needs no introduction. The results speak for themselves.

Jim and Jane bring their passion and knowledge of how to reach those in our communities who are frequently overlooked or bypassed. Their work among English-as-a-second-language families has bridged gaps that were deep dark chasms.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

And before I handover to Lesley Watts, our coordinator for 'Readers by Right', who will outline the day's various events, I want to say once more on behalf of the Parents United organizing committee, welcome. It's wonderful to see so many of you here." 

Travel Collocations (Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives)

• travel | collocation examples, Usage and Definition | collocation dictionary (freecollocation.com)
• Collocations With "travel" in English (translateen.com)

Write a short text about travelling using as many collocations as possible.

Theory

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar/articles.htm

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/determiners-articles.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv349.shtml

Collection

https://agendaweb.org/grammar/articles-definite-indefinite-exercises.html

Exercises

https://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/216.html

https://usefulenglish.ru/grammar/articles-exercise-four

https://usefulenglish.ru/grammar/articles-exercise-five

https://usefulenglish.ru/grammar/articles-exercise-six

https://usefulenglish.ru/grammar/articles-exercise-seven

https://www.englishpage.com/articles/articles_12.htm

https://www.englishpage.com/articles/articles_13.htm

https://www.englishpage.com/articles/articles_14.htm

https://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/articles/article3.htm

https://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/articles/article2.htm

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/articles.htm

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/articles2.htm

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/articles3.htm

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/articles4.htm

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/articles-mixed.htm

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/articles-exercise.htm

https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-articles.php

https://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=4378

http://www.focus.olsztyn.pl/en-grammar-articles-test-8.html

Sample Dialogue (4–5 turns)

A: Hi, are you new here? I haven't seen you before.

B: Hi, yes. I am new here. I just arrived yesterday. It is a pleasure meeting you.

A: Indeed, it is. What's your name?

B: I'm Dr. Ben Miller. And how about you?

A: My name is Anna Franklin. Wow, you hold a doctorate! How would you like me to address you?

B: Oh, don't worry about it. Please, call me just Ben.

A: Alright, Ben. It was good talking to you. I hope to see you later. Bye.

B: Great, until later then. Good-bye.

•  Lydia: Good morning, Ms Aniston. Do come in. Welcome. It’s nice to see you again.
•  Pheobe:  And you, I’ve been very much looking forward to this visit.
•  Lydia: So have we. May I take your coat ?
•  Pheobe: Certainly. Here you are.
•  Lydia: Please have a seat, and make yourself comfortable. I’ll tell Mr Kligman you are here. Would you like something to drink ?
• Pheobe: Yes, I wouldn’t mind a hot drink, if at all possible.
•  Lydia: Of course. We have tea, coffee and hot chocolate. What would you prefer ?
•  Pheobe: Coffee would be great, thank you.
•  Lydia: How would you like your coffee ?
•  Pheobe: A drop of milk and one sugar, please.
•  Lydia: Here you are. Please help yourself to the cookies.
•  Pheobe: They look delicious, thank you.
•  Lydia: You’re welcome. did you have any trouble finding the way ?
•  Pheobe: No, the directions you sent me were very clear, and there was hardly any traffic on the road.
•  Lydia: Excellent. How’s Mr Smith ?
•  Pheobe: He’s very well. He sends his regards.
•  Lydia: It’s a pity he couldn’t join us today.
•  Pheobe: Indeed. He would have really liked to come, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to rearrange his schedule.
•  Lydia: Well, I certainly hope he can join us on your next visit. As for today’s schedule, we thought we could have lunch first and then show you around the company. How does that sound to you ?
•  Pheobe: Very good. I’d really like to see you design centre.
•  Lydia: Certainly. Well, I think that’s Mr Kligman coming now. I’ll leave you in his good hands while I make the lunch arrangements.
•  Pheobe:  Splendid. Thank you very much.

Squatting on toilet seat (this is a bit gross, sorry

Laurie

I am a new host and would appreciate help understanding a cultural difference and how I can manage this.

I recently had guests from China and from the unfortunate liquid fecal remnants left all over the toilet, including the underside of the toilet seat cover lid and along the side of the toilet paper roll next to the toilet, it appeared to me that at least one guest had squatted on the toilet seat instead of sitting on it, which allowed the diarrhea to spray so far outside of the toilet bowl.

I live near Yellowstone National Park and have noticed that every bathroom has a sign graphically advising all users to NOT squat on the toilet seat, but to sit directly on it (or slightly hover over it if one does not want any contact with it). I didn't understand this at first, but clearly there are cultures in which squatting on the toilet is normal.

Does anyone know if this is specific to China or are there other countries and cultures where this is a normal practice?

Sora0 in 

Singapore

My home country do paste note to remind public not to squat on toilet seat. So you may do that if you want. It sounds alrite. The reason why China or rather some people squat on the toilet seat is they scare the seat is dirty. Its some how own personally point of view not to do with culture.

Squatting on toilet seat (this is a bit gross, sor... - Airbnb Community (withairbnb.com)